Improvement in grain-binders



s Sheet s--Sheet 1.

C. B. WITHINGTON. GRAIN-BINDER. No.186,186. Patented. Jan. 9, 1877.

WITNESSES fiw-lz w IJVVEJVTOR By flttorney M .QSM

NJETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASN lNGTON, D C

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. B. WITHING'IO'N.

GRAIN-BINDER.

Patented Jan. 9,1877.

By Zia Attorney BMW N-FETERS. FNOYO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHXNGTON. D C,

5 Sheets-Sheet 3. C; B. WITHINGTON.

By hi Attorney N.PEII'ERS FHOTKLLITHDGRAFNER. WASHINGTON, D C

5Sheets-Sheet4. C. B. WITHINGTON..

GRAIN-BINDER.

Patented Jan. 9, 1877.

INVENTOR Uiaafl Ellingiarz.

By 721's Attorney MRBM' I N.PETERS. PHOYO-LITHOGRAPHEF. WASHINGTON D C.

v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. 0-. ,B. WITHINGTON. GRAIN-BINDER. N 136,186 Patented Jan. 9, 1877.

JV WITWSSES aha-.3. mil-won. I VENT W By 7m Attorney ".PEIERS. PHOTO LITHOGRAPHEE WASHINGTONv D C TTNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLI JS B. WITHINGTON, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO C. H. AND L, J. MGCORMICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-BINDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 186, I86, dated J annary 9, 1877; application filed November 11, 1876.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. WITHING- TON, formerly of Lewisburg, in the county of Union and State of Pennsylvania, but now residing at J anesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Binders for Harvesters, of which the following is a specification:

My present invention more especially relates to certain improvements on the grainbinding machine patented by me February 20, 1872, as No. 123,967, in which two bindingwires are employed, though some of my improvements are obviously applicable to machines differing in construction from that shown therein.

My improvements consist, first, in a binding-machine so organized as to move up to the cut grain lying in a suitable receptacle, grasp the gavel, move backward, binding the bundle as it retracts. and finally discharge it, whereby the traverse of the binder itself is caused to actuate the binding mechanism proper, the gavel While being bound is taken out of the way of the incoming grain, and the discharge of the bound gavel is facilitated; secondly, in combining a. stationary grain-receptacle, a reciprocating carriage carrying the binding mechanism, and a binding or wirecarrying arm vibrating on said carriage,

.whereby the grain while being bound is carried away from the receptacle toward the place of'discharge; thirdly, in combining, with the binding-carriage, a continuouslytraversing endlesschain, and a stirrup-lever pivoted on the chain and on the binding-frame, and having an intermittent semi-rotating movement at each end of its traverse, whereby the binding mechanism is reciprocated; fourthly, in combining a continuously-traversing endless chain, a stirrup-link carried thereby, and having an intermittent semirotative movement at each end of the traverse of the chain, a rotating crank -.sl1aft, actuated by the stirrup-lever, a pitman connecting said crank-shaft with a rock-shaft having a crank of longer radius than the crank of the crankshaft, and a binding-arm mounted upon said rock-"shaft, whereby the binding arm is vibrated at suitable intervals; fifthly, in combining a reciprocating binding-carriage, a rotating crank-shaft, vibrating the binding-arm through link-connections, a guide-cam on the crank-shaft, and fixed stops on the frame, whereby the binding mechanism is positively locked at each end of its movement until the binding-arm is properly opened and closed; sixthly, in combining a binding-carriage, a

continuously-traversing endless chain, a stirrup-link, pivoted on the chain, having a semirotative movement at each end of the traverse of the chain, a crank-shaft mounted upon the binding-carriage, rotated by the link, and vibrating the binding arm through suitable link-connections, and a binder-head or twisterwheel, also carried by the binding-carriage, whereby the harmonious co-operation of the reciprocating, vibrating, and twisting mechanism is secured; seventhly, in combining with a reciprocating carriage a binding-head, or wire twisting and cutting mechanism, actuated in termittently at proper intervals by a sectorrack pivoted upon said reciprocatingframe, and driven by its reciprocations eighthly, in combing a reciprocating bindingcarriage, wire cutting and twisting mechanism carried thereby, a vibrating sector-rack pivoted thereon, and mechanism which automatically throws the wire cutting and twisting mechanisms into or out of gear at the proper moment during the reciprocation of the binding-carriage; ninthly, in combining a reciprocating bindingcarriage carrying wire cutting and twisting mechanism, a vibrating sector-rack mounted upon the carriage and actuating said wire cuting and twisting mechanism, and apitman pivoted to the rack, and sliding upon a fixed portoin of the frame, and controlled by an adjustable stop, whereby the operations of the binding-head may be correctly timed or adjusted in accordance with requirements of the work to be done; tenthly, in combining a wire twister and cutter composed of two sections of gears turning independently on a common axis, a pawl pivoted upon the binding-head and acting upon one section, and a spring-detent acting upon both sections, whereby one section can be held stationary While the other is cut: ting, and the coincidence of the teeth be se.

cured for the proper entrance of the binding-wire; eleventhly, in combining with the sectional wire twisting and cutting pinion, its pawl, and spring-detent, a vibrating sectorrack, having on a portion of its periphery a' full set of teeth to act on both sections, and on another a partial set to act on one section only, and a cam to act on the pawl, whereby one part of the pinion is held stationary while the other is moved to cut the-wire; twelfthly, in combining with a reciprocating carriage a vibrating sector-rack, and a binding-head mounted on asliding frame controlled by an passes, which device constitutes the subjectmatter of Letters Patent No. 150,992, dated May 19, 1874, the application of which was filed simultaneously with one of which this present one constitutes a division, and, as the details of construction shown in said patent constitute no part of the subject-matter herein claimed, a specific description of them herein is deemed unnecessary.

Figure l is a plan or top view of so much of the mechanism as is necessary to illustrate the construction and operation of my improved apparatus,with the driving-wheel and portions of the frame in horizontal section. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section on the line u u of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a similar section on the line 1: o of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a transverse vertical section on the line-u u, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a section, through the rotary take-up tension, on the line 3 y of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view, partly in section, of the cutting and twisting mechanism and itsactuating sector-rack. Fig. 7 is a transverse section therethrough on the line z z of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 represents a modification of the wire-supplying device, showing means whereby the wire may be supplied to my double twisting apparatus from a single reel.

In the drawings a suitable main frame, B, is shown as mounted within, and supported by, an annular drive-wheel, C. An endless apron, A, a of the usual construction, upon which the cut grain falls, is connected with the mainframe in well-known ways, and conveys grain to and underneath a pendulous endless apron, H, of well-known construction, suspended from a revolving shaft driven by suitable gearing in such manner that the lower end of the endless apron and its supportingframe and roller isjf freeto swingaround its f and is carried up byilthhflapron. The grain- 1 board is slotted centrallyfand longitudinally for the passageoftlie binder-arm. Fromits f highest point the grainboard is first curved I; inward and downward, so as to form a con-1 cave receptacle for the incoming grain, and is then projected horizontally-through thedrivo wheel, where it is curved, downward tofacilitate the discharge of} cthefbound gavel. Q The construction iofyparts above described is not, however,iclaimedfherein, except 111 1 combination with abindeglasthey constitute i a portion ofthe subject-matterclaimedin my patent of May 19,187y& ,"above mentioned; The binding-machine is constructed with a frame, A, provided .withyslatsua, constitutingfan open slattedbottomJ(The ends of these slats -next the elevatingaproujarebent down,so as; y to extend over the, inclined grain-board G and?! abut against the elevating-apron, to aid indeflecting the grain into; the receptacleJ-The opposite ends oti theslatswarecurved upwa out of the way, and to actlas ashield for the mechanism. The grainfit willbe remembered, in this instance passes under these slats,which are suspended, beneath the mechanism b studs d. e

The binding mechanism proper is mounted upon a carriage, F,reciprocating on a guide: way, 0, secured upon; theframe, and havinga vertical slot,f,and1a horizontal slot, g, ex-ix tending nearly throughoutiits whole length, j and intersecting each, other, soas toform an unobstructed space. ,Adouble sprocket-wheehfif O, on the shaft of theelevating-apron,driven by suitable gears. BJ PHP drives an endless chain, E, composed of.,widelinks, traversing in the vertical slot of the guide-frame 0 above mentioned. These linksy it will be observed,.. v are made wide, and frunateach end around) pulleys arrangedin pairs at each end of the guideway,onindependentstud hafts secured? therein, so as to leave an unobstructed space between them, for a? purpose hereinafter described. i A slotted link or rotaryEstirrup-lever, L, is pivoted atone endito oneof the links r jof the endless chain, whileziits other endjisrig idly secured to: as-crank-shaft, M, adapted to slide in the horizontal slot got the guideway c. This crankshaft, itijwill be.observed,a1 ways travels betwee -j-the".uppenandglowei' sides of the endlessgchai ,i'lwhile the slotted end of the linktrave 'th thexchain, and will consequentlymo horizontally in-one direction, pass, up betizvefeirf thepulleys, at the ends of the guideway, return backward on the opposite side of the guideway, and again descend, thus alternately making a half-revolution at each end of its traverse.

The binding-arm K? vibrates with a rockshaft, L mounted. upon a standard, F, secured upon the traversing binding-carriage.

A crank, t, on the crank-shaft M, is connected,

by a pitman, N, with a crank of the rockshaft L above mentioned. The crank it, of course, revolves with its crank-shaft, but, being shorter than the crank 1 the shaft L is only rocked or vibrated, instead of being revolved, as it would be were the cranks of equal radius.

A guide-slot is formed concentrically with the crank-shaft in an enlarged hub or shell, T, which guide-slot at proper intervals passes over stop-pins s on the ends of the guide-frame at the moment when the link is turning around its guide-pulleys with the chain. The bindingcarriage is consequentlyheld positivelylocked at this moment while the crankshaft is rotating, which is an important feature, as at these moments the bindingarm is either opening or closing, and the relative position of the parts is such that but for this locking mechanism there might be a tendency of the bindingcarriage to traverse, which would impede the effectiveness of the operating mechanism.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that the continuous travel of the endless chain in one direction will alternately reciprocate the binding-carriage from one .end of its guideway to the other, and at each end a momentary pause in the reciprocation will take place, ,while the stirrup-link is making its half-turn and reversing its position.

Two positions assumed by the parts are shown respectively by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 3, where the full lines show the binding-arm as just beginning to rise to grasp and move backward with the bundle, while the dotted lines show its position after discharging the gavel, when about to open to move forward again to grasp a new bundle.

The binding-head G and its sectional'twistor or twisting pinion, made of two parts, 1 l is substantially the same in construction and operation as that shown and described in my aforesaid patent of February 20, 1872, except in a few details of construction shown in the drawing, presently to be indicated.

This binding-head I now attach to a plate, G capable of sliding longitudinally in a guideextension, k mounted on the traversing binding-carriage. A plate, G provided with an angular guide-slot, i 11 i slides transversely across the guide-extension h A guide-pin on the longitudinal slide Gr works in a slot of the transverse guide G The binding-head and its attachments are supported by means of an open guide-sleeve, G forming part ofthe guide-extension hi,

and the binding-head is braced by diagonal stays j connecting this sleeve and head.

The sectional twister or twisting-pinions are operated at suitable intervals by means of a sector-rack, H vibrating on a fulcrum, l, on the binding-carriage, and these pinions are automatically thrown into and out of gear by the eccentric slide above described. The sector-rack has its teeth partly cut away on one side of a longitudinal central line, as shown at H Figs. 4 and 6, so that at the moment of severing the wire the sector-rack will gear only with one of the twister-pinions, while it gears with both pinions at the time when one of the wires is being carried around out of the way of the wire which is carried into the slit of the binding-head by the wire-carrying arm, and also when the wire is being twisted upon the bundle and above the binding-head, in order to insure the connection of the ends of the wire after the wire upon the bundle is cut off. One of the cutterpinions is held positively still, when desired, (while the other is free to rotate,) by means of a pawl, K vibrating on a pivot, K, on the cutter-head.

A toe or wiper, k, on the sector-rack at proper intervals strikes the end of the lever K of the pawl, to throw it into contact with the teeth of one of the pinions.

In Fig. 6 the spring k is shown as made wide enough to interlock with both of the cutter-pinions and having an angular bend or depression, M, which serves to hold both cutter-pinions in position for.the reception of the wire when the pawl is thrown out of gear. When the pawl is in gear one pinion is locked while the other is turned by the sector-rack, thus severing the wire.

The sector-rack is vibrated at proper intervals by means of a pitman, m, pivoted thereto at one end, while the other end is pivoted to a sleeve, m sliding on an auxiliary guide'rod, 7', which slide, at the proper moment, abuts against a stop-pin, m on the rod. This pin may be adjusted back and forth with nicety by means of nuts and screws on the ends of the guide-rod, as at m Fig. 6. The extent of the movement of the sleeve in an opposite direction may be controlled by abutting against the rail of the biiidingframe, or by a stop adjusted in accordance with the distance traversed by the binding mechanism.

That portion of the sector nearest its fulcrum is depressed below the plane of the teeth, in order that it may work under the guide-piece h of the carriage. while the sector-arms h h. are elevated above the depressed plate h which connects their inner ends, by which means the arms of the sector, as they vibrate alternately, strike the transverselysliding slotted plate G thus throwing the twisting'pinion into and out of gear at proper intervals. The grain deposited in the receptacle .is compressed by means of retainingfingers K fixed upon the rock-shaft L. A vibrating compressor, K, pivoted at the high pulleys on their ends.

est point of the grain-board G, or other convenient part of the harvester, may be used.

The wire-carrying arm K is mounted on the inner end of the rock-shaft L (see Fig. 2,) its outer extremity being bifurcated, so as to form two prongs, p 17, carrying friction- VVhen the bindingarm is closed to carry the wire into the twister, one of these-prongs comes on each side of the twisting-head, as shown in Fig. 4.

In the drawings the wire is shown as supplied from two reels,T T. The wire z -from the reel T passes over a pulley, 'v, and a roller, 5, directly to the binding-head, while the wire z from the reel T passes downward over a' pulley, v, on the binding-carriage F, to the wire-carrying arm K In order to preserve the proper tension on the binding-wire I pass it through and around a tension-drum, S, arranged at a point intermediate between the wire-reel and the grainbinding head.

In Figs. 4 and 5 this drum is shown as mounted on an arm projecting from the rockshaft L and forming an extension of the.

binding-arm. The drum rotates upon a hollow arbor, W between which and the drum is a coiled spring, W secured at one end to the hollow axis, and at the other to the drum. The wire passes through the hollow arbor, around the guide-roller w, and through a slot in the drum, being then wound one or more times around the periphery of said drum.

In Fig. 5 both wires are shown as thus carried through the tension-drum, one in full and the other in dotted lines. The reels T'T are so constructed that one revolves with the shaft, while the other is acted upon by a spring, W Fig. 3, by which mode of construction one intermediate tension is made available for controlling the wire from both reels, while either may be operated separately when required. The wire 2 leading from the reel T is shown in Fig. 2 as carried around the pulley 0, through the hollow arbor of the tension-drum S, around the guide-pulley W through the hole W in the flange of the drum, and around the grooved periphery of the drum, around which the wire is wound spirally as often as the coils of the spring within the drum will permit, or as may be required in taking up the slack necessary to produce the required tension on the wire. The wire is carried from the drum over the pulley5 of the upper fork p of the wire-carrying arm, and is united with the wire 2 which passes from the reel T around the pulley r, Fig. 2; thence over a friction-pulley through the slot of thebinding-head, where it is united to the other wire, by twisting the ends together below the binding-head,fas atzfiFig. 3. Th subsequent twisting operations arelperforined automatically. a x T 31 As the gavels are b n y both reels TT', andfia othq areconnected with the same shaft,thejf wire pfaidgontfrom the reel T. will be regulatedbythe movement of the reel T, which "is ntermittentlydrivenl by the strain uponlth by the wire-carry ing arm. The wires over pulleys 5*5 above and belowthebmding head, as well asj over the rollers .5 5 on thetbinding-arm.

Instead of havingonlyonewire pass'throughf the tension drum, bfoth "wires maybe thus passed through, and! .wliehiifthis is done, as shown in Fig. 5,1thejtension yupon both wire will be equal, anditheywill consequentlyf pay out uniformlyfrom;bothireels. j l 1 As a modification of" themodeof operating my invention, both as heretoforepatentedand i as herein shown, I propose to'take oflthereeh T and use the endoff' llaft asawindlass in the following manne y, :lthread the ma chine, carry the wire down: through the j 3 ten sion-drum, up over thewire-carryingarm into the binding-head, thedcdfliby the pulley 'v', fand fasten its end tothe-windlass end of the reel shaft. No w,;when; thermachine operates continuonsly' for"bindingylgavels;the" wire willbe paid out from one reel only, and 'fthe two 1 twists willbe made on thewiraibut the bung dles, when bound and' -clitfbfifwill have bfutf one twist on the wirewhichbinds them. The upper twists or knotsj ofbthew wire, willbd wound upon the-Windlass, as illustrated inll Fig. 80f the drawiugsk "s planwillinvolve. a slight loss of material and evenmay found very objectionable, as compared wit my double-wire binding operation; but asitwill produce thesameffresult, of automati cally reconnecting"thesevered ends of the wire above thebindingheadi and also twists). n i 1 the wire upon the bundlep-I i have described'fl y it here for my protectionri l I do not claimherein the tension-drum, as that is shown in an application for Ilettersf Patent filed by me January25,'1870; neither do I claim'the combinationofa binding-head, a wire-reel, and an intermediate take-up, as this combinationisclaimedjinan; applicatio filed by me March5,f1874 ofiwhich this is. division. a

The operation 0 my. inproved .bindin mechanism is as folibwswrne wires being threaded, as above describedhandtheirends united, assho'wn at zy Fig. 3, the machinei started. The'xicut grainflfalls upon the endles apron A, whence it is carried bythe elevating apron H overthe grain-boardG, into there ceptacle, I y y from the' positionn shown 1 -d Fig. 3 to that shownbyit V figure, its forked endtopens andpasses-throug the slot in the"grain-board, ;and'rnovesforwar under the grain in the receptacle. As th,

and sweep the grain before them'into the receptacle. At the sametime the pin K on the arm F strikes the lever of the compressor. K",

and throws it up, compressing the bundle between it and the bottom slats a. At the same time the binding-arm K? rises up through slots in the grain-board and in the endless apron, carrying the wire around the bundle and pressing it into the jaws of the bindinghead, as shown in Fig. 4. Previous to this, however, a half-turn had been given to the twister by reason of the forward movement of the binder-frame, which .caused the transverse slide G to 'abut against one of the arms of the sector-slide, and thus throw the twisterinto gear with the sector-rack. This movement brought the wire already lying in the jaws of the twister around on the opposite side of the pinion, as shown in Fig. 6, so that when the other wire is brought up into the position shown in Fig. 4, and before the two wires are twisted together, they lie in the spaces between the teeth of the twister-pinions and on opposite sides thereof. The twister-pinions being thus in gear, the backward movement of the binding-carriage twists the wires together, as shown in Fig. 4. As soon as this is done, the piuions pass over that portion of the rack which has the partial teeth Hi theretions above described are repeated.

As the binding-arm opens, wire is paid out from the reel, and as the arm passes around the compressed bundlethe slack wire is taken up by the backward rotation of the tensiondrum, which thus preserves at all times a uniform tension upon the wire.

It will be noticed that in the machine shown in the drawings the binding-arm is suspended below the binding-carriage; It may be worked with equally good effect, however, above the carriage, and such reversal of the position of the binding-arm requires very little change of the organization of the binding mechanism itself, and it has, in fact, been so used by me in several harvests.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a stationary grain-receptacle, a carriage reciprocating upon ways, and

a binding or wire-carrying arm mounted upon said carriage, whereby the binding-arm moves up to the grain in the receptacle, encircles it with wire, removes it from the receptacle, and releases it after being bound.

- 2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a stationary grain-receptacle, a reciprocating carriage, and a binding or wire carrying arm, and bindinghead or twisting mechanism, mounted upon, and actuinbefore set forth, of a continuously-traversing endless chain, a stirrup-link carried thereby, having an intermittent semi rotative movement at each end of the traverse of the chain, a rotating crank-shaft actuated by the stirrup-lever, a pitman connecting said crankshaft with a rock-shaft having a crank of longer radius than the crank of the crank-shaft, and

.a binding-arm mounted upon said rock-shaft,

to vibrate the binding-arm at suitable intervals.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a reciprocating bindingcarriage, a rotating crank-shaft, a bindingarm vibrated, through link-connections, by the crank-shaft, a guide-cam on the crank shaft, and fixed stops on the frame, to lock the binding mechanism at each end of its movement while the binding-arm is opening and closing. 7

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the binding-carriage, a continuously-traversing endless chain, a stirrup-link pivoted thereon, having a semi-rotative movement at each end of the traverse of the chain, a crank-shaft mounted upon the binding-carriage rotated by the link, a binding-arm vibrated from the crank-shaft through suitable link-connections, and a binding-head or twister-wheel mounted on the binding-carriage, for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, substantially as herebefore set forth, of a reciprocating carriage, a binding-head or wire twisting and cutting mechanism, and sector-rack, operating said mechanism intermittently by the motion of the binding-carriage.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a reciprocating bindingcarriage, wire cutting and twisting mechanism carried thereby, a vibrating sector-rack pivoted thereon, and mechanism, substantially such as described, which automatically throws the wire cutting and twisting mechanism out of gear, for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a reciprocating bindingcarriage carrying wire cutting and twisting mechanism, a vibrating sector-rack mounted upon the carriage and actuating said cutting and twisting mechanism, and a pitman pivoted to the rack, sliding upon a fixed portion of the -trame, and controlled by an adjustable stop,

.pinion, and a spring-detent acting upon both pinions, whereby one pinion can beheld sta tionary while the other is cutting and the coincidence of the teeth of both pinions is secured for the proper entrance of the bindingwire before being cut or twisted.

11. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the sectional wire twister and cutter, consisting of two independentlyrevolving concentric pinions, its spring-detent and paw], a vibrating sector-rack, having on one portion of its periphery a full set of teeth to act on both pinions, and on another a partial set to act on one pinion only, and a cam to act on the pawl, whereby one pinion is held fast while the othrRis moVing to sever 4th WlIe. j 1 i 12. The combination, substantially ashere inbet'ore set forth,-o a reciprocating carriage a vibrating sectorrackyand a binding-heal mounted on a slidingfralne, controlled byla eccentric slot andypin, whereby the twisting pinion is automatically thrown into andou of gear at propergintervals, to regulatethe placing, twisting, andcutting of the wire. l3. The comhination,lsubstantially asher inbefore set forth, of a reciprocating bind with a compressor vibratingonia fixedr portio of the frame, but actuated hy sthemovementl of the binder, wherebyrthegavel is compressed by the action of the binding carriage upon the compressor as it movesup to grasp the gavel In testimony whereof }I-have hereunto sub scribed my name. i i

CHAS. B. WITHINGTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. EARNEST, WM. J. PEYmoN. 

